Kosovo’s Female Political Candidates Face Hate Speech and Disinformation Ahead of Elections
Source: Prishtina Insight
As Kosovo prepares for its upcoming local elections on October 12, female candidates have faced hate speech, disinformation, and gender-based attacks—both online and offline—that threaten to silence their voices and discourage them from entering politics.
Despite years of advocacy for gender equality, women remain underrepresented in Kosovo’s local politics. Of the 206 candidates running for mayor in the October 12, 2025 local elections, only 20 are women—a figure that reflects limited support for female candidates from political parties and a political environment not welcoming to female leadership.
With a lack of support from political parties, women in Kosovo often hesitate to run for leadership positions because it makes them targets of hate speech and disinformation campaigns—attacks that affect their personal lives more than their political platforms.
As Kosovo prepares for its upcoming local elections on October 12, female candidates have faced hate speech, disinformation, and gender-based attacks—both online and offline—that threaten to silence their voices and discourage them from entering politics.
Despite years of advocacy for gender equality, women remain underrepresented in Kosovo’s local politics. Of the 206 candidates running for mayor in the October 12, 2025 local elections, only 20 are women—a figure that reflects limited support for female candidates from political parties and a political environment not welcoming to female leadership.
With a lack of support from political parties, women in Kosovo often hesitate to run for leadership positions because it makes them targets of hate speech and disinformation campaigns—attacks that affect their personal lives more than their political platforms.